Well tool



Jan. 26,1926. l G. B. LOUDERBACK WELL TOOL Filed Juni' 24, 1924 tto? vzeg.

, end of the tool obliquely lili i application filled lune 913,

.cally mention certain of its more important obiectsn l do not limit myself to the `formsdisclosed, since various changes and adaptations may be made therein Without departing from. he essence ol my invention as hereina-liter claimed; 'and objects and advantages, other than those speciiically mentioned, are

included Within its scope.

lilly invention relates to tools lor rotary drilling operations, and particularly to tools having integral means "for advancing the cutting bladesas they become Worn. Among the salient objects oit my invention are; iirst, to provide means for advancing the blades oi suchA a tool vvhile it is at the bottom of a drill hole, by alternately raising and lowering the tool; and, second, to accomplish the above in a simple and rugged construction that may be depended upon to zhinction as intended.

My objects are attained in the manner illustrated in the accompanyingdravving, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of the complete tool;

Figure 2 is a similar section taken on a plane perpendicular to that of Figure 1; and `Figures 3, 4, 5, and ti respectively are enlarged ycross sections of the tool taken on the planes 3-3, Ll---4, etc., oi Figures l and 2. y Similar reference numerals refer to sinnlar parts throughout the several views.

ln applications lor "United States patents tiled by me on January 16, 1924, Serial :[:i: 686,569' February 11, 1924, Serial :lj: 691,-z 998; and amy-12, i924, Serial #712335; l have disclosed a novel type and arrangement of cutting blades :for a drilling bit, and means 'for advancing them 'from the lovver to the axis. For convenience of illustration have taken a somewhat similar tool for disclosinef the present invention which, hou/ever, riders` from all the others in its feeding mechanism',

and4 only the latter is claimed herein. This Ychannels for guiding the moving parts.

oblique rel ation A ,msm-w senat nu,

lieeding mephanism, constituting the present invention, is Well adapted for use in a large variety oit ltools of the general character mentioned above, and for other devices re- @0 quiring periodic feeding of the cutting bladesa u The lovver portion ci the tool selected `for illustration comprises identically shaped halves 7 and 8 having accurately machined @5 or ground laces, assembled tace to face so as to Contact closely and `form a tight joint. The assembling of these body halves is accomplished by means of a Wedge lring 9 at the bottom; a tubular housing l0 screwed 70 upon them at an intermediate point; and a screvv collar 11 at the top. pair of through bolts 12 are also used at thebottom.

rlhe body halves are soshaped that, 'When assembled, the lovver portionof the tool is l5 slightly Wedge-shaped as indicated in Figure 2. This portion oi' the body in reality is a modilied ellipse in section, as shown in Fi ure e, and the sectionbecomes increasing y elongated in its proportions tov-:fard the bots tom ozt the tool. ln assembling the halves the Wedge band 9 is driven up *from the bottom onto a slightly taperedseat to a shoulder at 13, and the band is prevented from backing oil by means of a pair of' 35 Wedges lll, shown only in Figure 6. These Wedges are driven up from the bottom, under the band, and serve to tighten the latter still further. They may be preventedv from becoming displaced in various Ways that will 90 occur to those familiar with this class of construction.,

The abutting faces of the body halves are variously recessed to ltorni enclosin chambers for-the Working mechanismw en the 95 halves are assembled, and with groovesplr e tool illustratedy has a pair of oblique bifurcated cutting blades 15 and 16, cross lianged at their'upper ends to engage the cross- 100 grooved blade-head l?, to be longitudinally positioned thereby, ,The blades and bladehead Work within shallow rectan lar recesses as 18. Furthermore the b ades are provided with longitudinal anges 19, on l their leading laces, and these, by engaging' v corresponding oblique grooves 20 in the body halves, serve to maintain the blades 1n to the axis ol' the tool. As blade-head l' is vmoved downward, 'the blades are :led obliquely from the end oi the tool; their upper ends meanwhile travlll@ erse the blade-head in. engagement with its cross grooves.

The feeding mechanism which is the sub" ject matter of the present invention, comprises a feed screw 2l engaged by a. cylirrl drical flanged nut 22. to, or made integral with, the blade-head and does not turn, but the nut may be rotated about its axistolwer the screw and bladehea-d.. The intermediate periphery of the nut is provided with ratchet teeth 23 and a spring ratchet 24 attached within body 'Z is Vadapted to engage these teeth to prevent roseQuently, when the too-l is tation in a reverse direction. The nut also has a pair of longitudinal splines 25, engaging a-.Clriving sleeve 26, by means of which it is rotated. Collars 27-permit the nut to rotate Within the body but prevent longitudinal movement and resist the thrust of the feed screw.

The driving sleeve 26 has a transverse radial-ratchet face at its lower end adapted to be engaged by a similar face at the upper end of the cylindrical cam-,follower 28. llhis ratchet engagementis indicated at 29 and ratcheting is accomplished with. the cooperation of spring 30, the sleeve being freeto slide up and down while in engagement with nut 22 through splines 25.

The feed mechanism is actuated by means of a pair of longitudinal plunger rods 3l, normally projecting from the lower end of the tool and terminating in a shoe 32 at the bottom. The upper ends of these rods are attached to a cylindrical driving cam 33' having a multiple thread or helix of relatively great pitch upon its periphery. llhis thread or helix engages the correspondingly formed interior of cam-follower 28. The driving cam does not rotate, being prevented from doing so by lreys 3d adapted to slide longitudinally in engagement with corresponding grooves `in the body parts as indicated in Figure 5. Longitudinal movement of the cam, serves to rotate follower 28, and thereby to drive feed nut 22'in one direction only," since the nut is prevented froml revers. ing its direction of rotation by ratchet 23.. A strong 'helical spring 35 normally forces cam 33 and the plunger rods 3l downward.

As indicated in the drawings the parte are so designed that when the plunger rods are moved upward by allowing@ the tool to come down upon. the bottom of the drill hole, the driving cam turns follower 28 backward or counterloclrwise, as seen from below. Sublifted, spring lili forces the cam downward and in so doing the follower is turned clockwise as 'viewed from the bottom. This results in turning the feed nut in. the saine direction and lowers the feed screw to advance the cutting blades.

The other features of the construction shown in` the drawings have been fully de scribed in the applications above referred rllhe screw is aiilxed' i notarse and are not included within the scope of the present invention. When drilling, the cutting vblades are, of course, advanced to occupy positions corresponding to dotted lines 36 in Figure l. At that time the weight of the tool and tool string is largely, if not entirely, upon. the cutting blades, and operating shoe 31 is forced up into recess 37 and does not interfere with the' drilling in any way. A circulating passage is provided from end to end of the tool. This comprises the inlet tubel 38, distributing head. 39, branch pipes 40and body grooves fil. At the bot tom these grooves branch into apair of diverging passages 42, discharging in front of the forward edges of the cutting blades.

My invention obviously is adapted for use in a large variety of tools including various types of drills, 'reamers, and such devices as require to have their cutting edges advanced from time to time as the work proceeds.

1.. A well tool comprising; a tool body; cutting blades adapted for being advanced from said body; longitudinally slidable plunger rods normally projecting from the end of the bddy, adapted for retraction by the weight of the tool; and mechanism operatively connecting said rods and blades through an interposed cylindrical cam and a ratchet, whereby the blades may be advanced by the reciprocation of the rods.

2. A well tool comprising; a tool body: cutting blades adapted for being advanced from said body; longitudinally slidable plunger rods normally proiecting from the end of the body, adapted for retraction by the weight of the tool; and mechanism operatively connecting said rods and blades through an interposed cylindrical cam, a ratchet, and a feed nut adapted for rotation in one direction only, whereby the blades may be'advanced by the reciprocation of the rods.

3. A. well tool comprising; a vtool body: cutting blades adapted for being advanced from said body; longitudinally slidable plunger rods spring constrained to normally project from the end of the body. adapted for retraction by the weight of the tool: and mechanism operatively connecting said rods and blades through an interposed cylindrical cam, a ratchet. and a feed nut adapted for rotation in` one direction only, whereby the blades may be advanced by the reciprocation of the d. A well tool comprising; tool body: cut-ting blades adapted for beine; advanced from said body; longitudinally slidable plunger rods, spring constrained to normally project from the end of the body, adapted for retraction by the weight of the tool; a non-rotating screw having a nut thereon adapted for rotation in one direction only, whereby blades may be advanced;

Mld

lll@

t project from nazcan# "mechanism operatively connecting said'rodsy and nut throul; an interposed cylindrical cam and aratc t', whereby the -nut'may be turned bythe reciprocation of the rods.

`5. A". well toolv com rising;l a toolfbody; cutting blades adapte forl being advanced from said body; longitudinally slidable plunger rods, spring constrained to normally the end of the body, and adaptedfor retraction by the weight of the tool.; -fa non-rotating screw having a nut thereon adapted for rotation in one direction only, whereby said blades may be advanced; and mechanism operatively connect in said rods and nut through an interposed he ically groovedcam and follower, whereby the nut may be turned in its one ogerating direction b the reciprocation of t e rods 6. A well7 tool comprising; movable eut ting `blades having a non-rotatable feed screw operatively connected therewith; a

feed nut upon said screw adapted for r0- tation by a ratchet in one direction only; and plunger rods normally rojecting from the end of said tooladapte to rotate said ratchet by means of an interposed cylindrical cam.

71 A. well tool comprising; 'movable'cutting blades having a non-rotatable feed screw operatively connected therewith.; a

Ifeed nut upon said screw 'adapted fior re tation by a ratchet n one direction only; and plunger redis spring cons-rained to norinallyv project rom the end o?. seid tool adap to @if said ratchet by means of anmterpcsei zielicaliy 'grcoved cam.

eta-ionen B. LOUQERBACK. 

